Latch



V. S. FIRESTONE ET AL March 17, 1931.

LATCH Filed Feb. 1s'. 1 9'29 2 Shets-Sheet l I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I I L March 17, 1931- v. s. Fmr-:STONE ET AL 1,796,923

LATCH Filed Feb. 16, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 WN WN QN .NNI WM N .Il QN N wm. QN mm., y 7 uw. @N NW N| QN uN QN LM Y Nm NNH mw v ,WN @www ,om WN v m w 1. z u i L l mw f l D QN N.. ma n :iHH Nw N A, vvNNl mm hm w @N mw @M Patented Mar. 17, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE VANCE S. FIRESTONE AND DELBERT SWARD, OF FRIEEPORT, ILLIOIS, ASSIGNOES TO ARCADE MANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF FREEPORT, ILLINGIS, A vCORPORATIION OF ILLINOIS f LATCH Application filed February 16, 1929. Serial No. 340,422.

Our invention relates more particularly to latches for refrigerator doors.

One of our objects is to provide a construction of latch which will operate automatically without the use of springs which are objectionable, to lock the door by the mere act of closing the door and by which the more forcibly the door is swung toward closed position, the tighter the door will close.

Another object is to provide a construction operating as above stated and which shall comprise a single handle member for the unlatching and opening of the door.

Another object is to provide a latch construction comprising leverage means operating to effect the initial movement of the door toward open position to the end that vsuch movement of the door may be effected with the exertion of relatively slight force even though the door be in tightly closed position.

Another object is to provide a construction of latch device of the type automatically latching the door upon the act of swinging the door to closed position which will be highly positive in its operation.

Another object is to provide for the operative positioning of the latch means on doors protruding different distances from the outer face of the .front wall of the refrigerator; and other objects as will be manifest from the following description.

Referring to the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a broken face view of the front of a refrigerator struct-ure containing an opening equipped with a door hinged theretoa-nd provided with latch means for the Ydoor in accordance with our invention, the door being shown in tightly closed condition and the actuating lever being shown by dotted lines in one of the intermediate positionsl it occupies in the closing of the door.

Figure 2 is an edge view ofthe structure of Fig. 1 showing the door in tightly closed position.

Figure 3 is an edge View of the same construction showing the door almost completely closed and with the parts of the latch device in a position corresponding thereto.

Figure 4 isa plan sectional view taken through the structure of Fig. 1 at the latching mechanism thereof with this mechanism shown in plan and the door in slightly open position; and

Figure 5, a section taken at the line 5 von Fig; 3 and viewed in the direction of the arrow.

In the drawings Z- 6 represents a refrigerator structure containing an opening 7 in its wall, and 8 a door forming a closure for said opening and hinged to the structure 6 as represented at 9 and in accordance with common practice.

The particular illustrated embodiment of our invention comprises a keeper 10 for attachment to the outer face of the structure G adjacent the side of the openiiw 7 opposite that at which the door 8 is hinged, this keeper comprising a plate 11 at which it is attached to the structure 6, Yas by screws l2; a forwardly projecting` portion 13 having a depending extension 14 presenting at its forward extremity a rearwardly and downwardly curved surface 15 and, to the rear of said surface, an upwardly and rearwardly inclined cam-forming, or wedge. surface 16; and means connecting plate 11 and portion 13 together to provide for relative adjustment of these parts vfor a purpose hereinafter stated. these means comprising aforwardly projecting post 17 rigid with the plate 11: a head 18 from which the part 13 projects and containing a recess 19 into which the forward end of the post 17 extends and at which these parts are relatively adjustable; and screw passing through a slot 21 in the head 1S and screwed into an opening 22 in the post 1'?.

The latch mechanism alsocomprises a latch bolt 23 in the form of a lever pivo'tally con- .nected between its ends at'Zh/l to a plate 25,

the plate 25 being attached to the face of the door 8 adjacent the keeper above described, by screws 26. The bolt 23 presents the handle portion27 which is deected outwardly to extend in spaced relation to the door 8 as shown in Fig. 4 and by which the unlatching of the door and the opening of the latter is effected. The pivoting of the bolt 23 is on a substantially horizont-al axis `whereby7 this bolt swings in a plane substantially parallel With the face of the door 8 and the end thereof opposite the handle portion 27 and repre sented at 28 is provided for latching with the keeper above described, the bolt 23 being also provided with a lug 29 extending laterally therefroniand in an upward direction, assuming the bolt to be in the full line position shown in Fig. l.

y The latch mechanism also comprises a detent represented at 30 and pivoted on a substantially vertical pin 3l mounted in the walls of a recess 32 provided in the head 1,8, the detent- 30 extending into this recess and thus adapted to rock in a substantially horizontal plane.

The deteiit 30 is of general bell crank form as shown noviding the angularly disposed arms 33 and 34 with a heel portion 35. T he heel portion 35 is provided for abutn'ient against the plate to limit rotation of the detent clockwise in Fig. 4; the arm 34 provided for cooperation with the lug 29 on the bolt 22; and the arm 33 is provided for cooperation with a lug 36 formed rigidly on the plate 25, the arm 33 also 'cooperating with the head 18 to limit rotation of the detent in counterclockwise direction in Fig. 4, the side surface of the arm 34 adjacent the lug 29 on the bolt being curved forwardly and to the left in Fig. 4 as represented at 'The arrangement of the parts shown and described is such, as shown, that assumiing the door to be open, the swinging of the door toward closed position causes the end portion 28 of bolt 23 (if this bolt occupies such a position about its pivot that its portion 2S overlaps the keeper) to ride against the cani surface l5 of the keeper thereby causing the bolt 23 to be rotated in counterclockwise direction in Fig. l to a position in which it clears the lower extremity of the keeper. As the dooi nears closing position the lug 2O strikes against the curved surface 37 of the detent 30 the impact resulting therefrom forcibly rotating the bolt 2S in clockwise direction in Fig. l which causes the bolt portion 28 to travel up the inclined surface i6 of the keeper and iirmly force the door' inwardly to closed position shown in. Fig. 2` it being understoodv from the fori-igoing that the greater the force applied by .the operator in closing the door the more tightly the parts of the latch mechanism intercngage for forcing the door to closed. latched. condition. it being further understood that if the bolt 23 in the closing of the door does not extend .at its portion 2S in overlapping relation to the keeperA the lug l29 will nevertheless engage the surface 37 of the detent with the result above explained.

In the closing of the door the lug 36 on the. door engages the arin v33 of the detent 8() `rocking the latter in counterclockwise direction in Figst to a position in which'tlie arm 34 extends into the path of movement of the lug 29 of the bolt 23 when this bolt is rotated, by the operator, in counterclockwise direction in Fig. l for unlatching the door.

To open the door the operator grasps the handle portion 27 of the bolt 23 and rotates this bolt in counterclockwise direction in Fig. l for downwardly swinging the portion 2S of this bolt out of interlocking engagement with the keeper, the lug 29 engaging the arm 34 of the detent in thisyoperation as above stated and as the operator continues yto rotate the bolt the detent 30 is rotated the bolt in clockwise direction in Fig. 4, the arm 33 of the detent BOeXerting outward pressure againstthe lug 36 with the result of initially opening, or cracking, the door as shown in Fig. 3, in which position the bolt 23 is entirely clear of the keeper and the operator by merely pulling outwardly on the bolt swings the door from the initial open position tov the final open position desired.

It is preferred that the several parts be so constructed and arranged as shown that the lug 29 of th'e bolt 23 will engage the surface 37 of the detent, in the closing movement of the door, before the lug 36 engages the arm 33 of the detent.

The feature of providing the keeper in sections adjust-able relative to each other is desirable inasmuch as it permits of the use of the latch mechanism on structures, the doors of which extend at different distances from the outer surface of the casing wall when the door is in closed position and further permits of relatively line adjustment of the shoulder surface 16 of the keeper relative to the cooperating end portion 28 of the bolt- 23.

lVhile we have illustrated and described a particular construction embodying our invention, we do not wish to be understood as intending to limit it thereto as the same may be variously modified and altered without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. A latch mechanism for a door adapted to closev an opening in acasing, said latch mechanism comprisingla keeper on said casing, a. latch bolton said door for interlocking with said keeper, a detent pivoted on the wall of said casing and a member movable with the door engaging one portion of said detent when the door is closed, said detent in the closed position of the door extending at another portion thereof into the path of movement of said bolt in the movement of the latter toward-unlatching position, whereby lsaid movement of said bolt operates to etl'ect initial opening movement of the door.

2. A latch mechanism for a door adapted -to close an opening in a casing, said latch mechanism comprising a keeper on said casing, a latch bolt pivoted on lsaid door for interlocking with said keeper, a detentpivotedon the wall of said casing and a inember movable with the door engaging one portion of said detent when the door is closed, said detent in the closed position of the door extending at another portion thereof into the path of movement of said bolt in the movement of the latter toward unlatching position, whereby said movement of said bolt operates to effect initial opening movement of the door.

3. A latch mechanism for a door adapted to close an opening in a casing, said latch mechanism comprising a keeper on said casing, a latch bolt pivoted on said door for interlockingwith said keeper, a detent pivoted on the wall of said casing and a member movable with the door engaging one portion of said detent in the open position of said door, said detent extending at another portion thereof into the path of movement of said bolt in the movement of the door toward closed position and in the closed position of the door extending at a portion thereof into the path of movement of said bolt in the movement of the latter toward unlatching position, whereby in the closing of the door said bolt is forcibly1 swung toward latching position, and in the movement of the bolt to unlatching position said door is initially opened.

il. A latch mechanism for a door adapted to close an opening in a casing, said latch mechanism comprising a keeper on said casing, a latch bolt pivoted on said door for interlocking with said keeper, and a detent of general bell crank form pivoted on the wall of said casing and so positioned that in the closing of the door a part of the door engages one of the arms of said detent and moves the other arm thereof into the path of movement of the bolt when the latter is swung to nnlatching position, for the purpose set forth.

5. A latch mechanism for a door adapted to close an opening in a casing, said latch mechanism comprising a keeper on said casing, a latch bolt pivoted on said door for in.- terlocking with said keeper, and a detent of general bell crank form pivoted on the wall of said casing and so positioned that in the closing of the door said bolt engages one of the arms of said detent and the bolt is rocked thereby toward latching position and the other arm of said detent is engaged by a part of said door and rocks said detentinto a position in which said first-referred-to arm extends into the path of movement of the bolt when the latter is rocked in a direction for unlatching the bolt.

6. A latch mechanism for a door adapted to close an opening in a casing, said latch mechanism comprising a keeper on said casing, a latch bolt for interlocking with said keeper and pivoted on said door to swing in a plane substantially parallel with the face of the door, a detent pivoted on the Wall of said casing and a member on saiddoor engaging one portion of said detent when the door is closed, said detent in the closed position of said door extending at another portion thereof into the path of movement of said bolt in the movement of the latter toward unla-tching position, whereby said movement of said bolt operates to effect initial opening movement ofthe door.

7. A latch mechanism for a door adapted to close an opening in a casing, said latch mechanism comprising a keeper on said casing, a latch bolt pivoted on said door for interlocking With said keeper, a detent of general bell crank form pivoted on the wall of said casing and so positioned that in the closing of the door said bolt engages one of the arms of said detent and the bolt is rocked thereby toward latching position and the other arm of said detent is engaged by a part of said door and rocks said detent into a position in which said first-referred-to arm extends into the path of mov-ement of the bolt when the latter is rocked in a direction for unlatching the bolt, the parts being so constructed and arranged that in the closing of the door the bolt engages the detent before the latter is engaged by the door.

8. A latch mechanism for a hinged door comprising a keeper, a pivoted bolt for interlocking with said keeper, a pivoted detent, and a member engaging one portion of said detent in the closing movement of the door, said detent in the closed position of the door extending at another portion thereof into the path of movement of said bolt in the movement of the latter toward'unlatching position,whereby said movement of said bolt operates to effect initial opening of the door.

9. A latch mechanism for a door adapted to close an opening in a. casing, said latch mechanism comprising a keeper on said casing, a bolt pivoted on said door for interlocking with said keeper, a detent pivoted on said keeper and amember on said door engaging one portion of said detent when the door is closed, said detent in the closed position of said door extending at another portion thereof into the path of movement of said bolt in the movement of the latter toward unlatching position, whereby said movement of said bolt operates to eliect initial opening movement of the door.

VANCE S. FIRESTONE. DELBERT SVVAR-D. 

